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I love apricots.
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So much so that I kind of overdid it at the Grocery Store. I bought too many, and realized that I had to use them up quickly, or we'd have some soggy, wrinkly old 'cots at the bottom of our fridge.
Friday afternoon I baked some little Apricot Tea Cakes, and even after that, there were still lots of apricots hanging out in the fridge, so this afternoon I decided to make another apricot dessert. Apricot Cream Whoopie Pies. Soooo yummiful!
Do you ever do that? Buy too many of something and have to hurry up and eat it all before it all goes bad?
(PS. The winner of the Crochet Sisters Giveaway is Regina, congrats!)
Brian and I are proud to announce that we have a new family member to welcome into our fold!
Hiraldo the Succulent. No, not Geraldo, but Hiraldo. I like it spelled with a H :)
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I am hoping that Hiraldo doesn't end up like our Basil plant that only lasted 4 months. I find myself strangely attached to this little succulent. Maybe because I named him? Or maybe because his leaves are so plump full of water that they look like they could be his little muscles (he's quite the brawny plant!)? Whatever the case, I am hoping that our apartment will be the perfect new home for him.
I am told that lots of sunlight and only serving him beverages once a month is the key. Do any of you have any care recommendations for us? Any of you want to be Hiraldo's God Parents? :)
(For those of you with crafty stores, check out my latest post here at Meylah about managing custom orders).
Who in the world is more selfless than a good parent?
Brian and I definitely want to have children of our own someday. Not just yet, but perhaps in a year or two.
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I don't see too many men who stop to point out other people's adorable babies or melt when they see a cute little toddler playing - but Brian is totally like that. We'll be walking down the street, and I will hear him sigh, or say "awwwwww", and I will turn to see he's looking at a cute little one. He absolutely LOVES children, so I can't wait to see him step into a fatherhood role some day. For now, we are enjoying our niece and nephew, and other friends newborns and new pregnancies.
But when we do have kidlets of our own, I am definitely stopping by The Crochet Sisters to deck my little bublets out in cute little hats and beanies.
This beautiful store is run by two lovely ladies - my youngest Etsy Sponsors ever - Lora and Mareenez, who are 14 and 17 years old. I am so impressed with their talent and creative patience. All the detail and work that goes into each piece is an absolute marvel, and then to learn that these creations are being crafted by teenagers - I am floored! After being taught to crochet by their Sunday School teacher, this pair caught on to the craft quickly. Their lovely father discovered Etsy and thought that it would be a great way for his daughters to exercise their talent and creativity - what a great example of a supportive Dad!
Lora has a heart for children. She is inspired by them constantly, and loves playing with them - their innocence and love propel new ideas for her work. Mareenez derives inspiration from all things musical, and she dreams of a future in music. And then when they are not crocheting, these sisters enjoy spending time in the kitchen, reading, babysitting and spending time with their other three sisters (sounds like a busy, fun-filled household!). In among all their loves are soft spots for ice cream - especially Vanilla Bean or Cookies And Cream!
Lora and Mareenez are generously giving away one of their darling beanies to a lucky reader. Whoever wins will receive a custom Flower Earflap Beanie crocheted at any size between 0-3 months to 2T-4T. To enter, please leave a comment here telling me what your favorite thing about children is. I will announce the winner on Sunday.
(PS. If you want to learn a little more about me - stop by Contented Me - Kristin asked me a few questions, so stop by if you want to see my answers!)
It's coming, it's coming!
These past two weeks have been really showing the first hints of Spring here in Houston.
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I had my first butterfly sighting!
I almost missed it, but just before it fluttered away I caught it perched on a flower. Luckily I managed to snap a photo in time before the evidence that Spring was coming flew away on the breeze.
This weekend was so lovely and relaxing - and what better way to celebrate that then some homemade tortes? And why just one?
(PS. The winners of the Mrs Dazo Giveaway are Passport in My Pocket and Maggi, hooray!)
(PPS. For those of you who like packaging, I have a Flat Packaging tutorial up here at Meylah.)
(My new Spring roundup of advertisers are up - please stop by all their lovely sites, their links are along the right under "Lovely Sponsors")
Math was always my least favorite subject. I couldn't stand it in school.
I would get straight A's in everything in school and college, but in Math I would get C's. Ugh!
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I would dread going to any Math Classes. The time I sat in that classroom trickled by so slowly. Still to this day I have dreams that I failed my Math classes and can't graduate out of high school.
But then came along Mrs Dazo. Itsy Dazo has done for me the impossible. She has made Math pretty. Her store is a trove of lovely jewelry, and included among her fanciful fare are lovely Abacus Neckaces. The minute I saw them on the Etsy Front Page, I fell in love with these cute little darlings. I loved how they make a subject I loathed so much in school be a pretty accessory.
Itsy was an Art Director at an ad agency when she felt it was time to leave the industry. She loved jewelry, and hence opened up her lovely store. She is inspired by people who take big leaps of faith to go after their dreams, and also people with generous spirits. Her home in Singapore makes her thankful for what she has - the safety, the trees, the food she eats, the friend she's made. Her gratitude for everyday life is reflected in the jewelry she sells - with pieces celebrating Nature, Love and Friendship.
When asked my favorite question - Itsy told me that her favorite dessert is a moist slice of Dark Chocolate and Prune Cake. That makes me like this girl even more! And you'll like her too - she is generously giving away TWO Abacus necklaces of your color choice. So on Sunday I will be announcing two winners instead of one. To enter, please leave a comment here telling me what was your least favorite subject in school and why, and also check out her store to tell me what color Abacus Necklace you would choose if you won.
So we are quickly approaching Valentine's Day. A day that is just as much loathed by people as it is loved.
You can probably tell just by looking at my blog that I LOVE Valentine's Day. Yes - I am that girl. I love flowers, frills, romantic comedies, fairytales, anything to do with love and the fanciful.
But I have always liked Valentine's Day. Even when I was single. To me, it's not JUST about romantic love. A lot of people complain about how here in America, children exchange Valentine's gifts in school - they say that it's teaching commercialism to kids. I actually think it's great because it shows children at a young age that Valentine's Day is about ANYONE you love. You don't need to be married or in a relationship to care about people.
There are people who complain that Valentine's Day is silly, that we should be like this every day - but in reality - not everyone is. Sometimes it takes a holiday like this to remind folks to show the people that they love that they appreciate them. For some people Valentine's Day is the only day of the year that they get this kind of attention - so any holiday that celebrates love is good in my books.
Alice from Piggy shares my love of the whimsical and romantic. She has a beautifully quirky store with jewelry to cater any taste. She told me that all her jewelry is inspired by fairytales and music, and that when she's not making jewelry, she loves to explore little cafes tucked into corners. Her eclectic mix of jewelry range from Hello Kitty inspired pieces to dainty little lockets that remind me of a Jane Austen book.
Alice is generously giving away a lovely piece of jewelry to one lucky reader. To enter, please let me know which you would prefer to win: 1, 2 or 3, and also let me know what you like or don't like about Valentine's Day. I will announce the winner on Sunday.
I wonder if I can admit this little secret and not lose blog friends....?
I don't care about football.
Or who wins the Superbowl.
BUT - yes, there is a but.
I DO care about all the good eating that goes along with the Superbowl, so for this reason - I LOVE the Superbowl!
In about an hour, Brian and I are going to a "Supper Bowl" party at a friends place. This couple are major foodies like us, so they have dubbed their get-together "The Supper Bowl". It's all about good eating while cheering for your team of choice. Brian also doesn't really care much about football, so both of us are going to concentrate on all the yummy food.
Here's my contribution to the Supper Bowl foodery:
I found this gorgeous Baked Ricotta recipe over at Seven Spoons and knew that I had to try it. The only difference is that I added ham to mine, since Brian and I are totally into meat in everything, hehehehe. And I got the cute Nacho Bites idea from My Baking Addiction. The only difference is that I glammed mine up a bit by making a Strawberry Guacamole Salsa to top it with instead of regular tomato salsa.
Alrighty guys - your turn - what are your Super Bowl eats?
(PS. The winner of the Faded Prairie Giveaway is Pamela. Yay, Pamela!)
(PPS. I have a Valentine's Napkin Ring Tutorial up at Meylah. Check it out!)
Oh bliss! I love photography.
The word "photography" stems from two Greek words - the Greek word for Light - "Photos", and then the Greek word for To Draw - "Graphein". Such a beautiful melding of words to sum up a beautiful art.
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I am fascinated by the sheer genius that it took to create the first camera. The first known photograph was taken in 1827, and rumor has it that back then the exposure time took anywhere between 8 hours and 5 days!
When I really stop and think about it, I carry around with me one of my favorite inventions of all time. Such a beautiful machine that can capture such beauty all because of light. I can't think of a more perfect name to explain what a camera produces - photography - "To Draw Light".
For years I have carried around a ratty old leather camera bag to house this lovely invention. When I was 20, my parents gave me my first SLR camera - a Canon, and I loved it. I loved controlling the light that was captured, the focus - everything. I refused to go to digital when it first came out, back before Digital SLRs hit the market. When Brian and I first started dating he kept insisting that I try out a DSLR just to see what it was like. And then that Christmas, he gave me one as a gift - and it's been my favorite toy ever since then. I still kept it in that old leather bag that I had my first camera in. Until now...
Isn't it beautiful? Ketti Handbags has been an Etsy favorite of mine for a long time now. I love how Ketti makes beautiful bags that are actually worthy of carrying such a remarkable piece of equipment. The shape, the pattern, the detail - I love all of it, and it doesn't compromise the durability of the bag. Hooray! I finally have a pretty bag to house my lovely camera!
Some of my tastes have changed over the years. My taste in food has stayed the same, but things like my taste in clothing, and taste in decor have shifted a little.
I never used to like "salvaged" or "pre-loved" items. I think it was because I was anal about germs (even though I knew everything got washed), which is silly, because I would stay in hotels on vacation, and eat on "pre-used" plates in restaurants all the time. But now I LOVE it! I especially love mixing rustic, farm-house style items with new pieces.
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It's a mixture of the textures and the faded colors, and the potential stories behind each piece that are such a drawcard for me. That's why I absolutely head-over-heels fell in love with Faded Prairie.
Kristin's gorgeous store is a menagerie of pre-loved beauties that would perfectly compliment any home. I am not exaggerating when I say that I love every piece in her stunningly styled store. Her inspiration comes from yesteryear; her imagination wandering to gentler times, hoping to recapture those faded pieces of the past and bring them to life again. She finds great joy and fulfillment in discovering old items and giving them a new lease on life. Her love for "Farmhouse Chic" is dual - not only does she adore how it looks, but being a fifth generation farmer/rancher - it's also wonderfully personal. 
Some of Kristin's favorite pieces are old Tractor Boxes. She explained to me that "these were such an important part of a farmer's life. When they were in the middle of their 80 acres, they didn't have time to run into town for a part - they relied on what was at their fingertips." She also loves how they look placed in a more feminine side of a home - it makes a lovely contrast.
With her color palette of choice being in the Natural hues - soft creams, natural browns and faded greys, Kristin keeps Faded Prairie stocked with items in those lovely shades, but also keeps pops of color in the store, like a sun peeking out over the horizon. With her beautifully simple tastes comes a love for simple desserts - her favorite being Strawberry Shortcake. Hmmmm... that sounds like the perfect little afternoon tea while sitting at the ranch, watching the sun go down...
Kristin is generously giving away one of the items in the above image to one lucky reader. To enter, please leave a comment here telling me which of the three items you'd like to win (the lovely Number Four Tote, the Two Vintage Clock Faces, or the Distressed Wooden Number). Please also tell me what your favorite thing is about the Farmhouse Chic look. I will announce the winner on Sunday.
PS. Kristin also has a lovely blog here. Stop in and say hi!
